Pensions are one of the biggest sustainability decisions many people make, even if they rarely think of them that way. This hub brings together The Planet Brief's guides on green pensions, climate-aware funds, FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) labels, pension greenwashing and the questions savers should ask before relying on a sustainable pension claim.
Financial information only
This hub is for education only. It is not pension advice, investment advice, a recommendation or a personal financial promotion. Pension investments can rise and fall in value. Speak to an adviser authorised by the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) before making pension or investment decisions.
Green pensions reading path
| Guide | Best for | What it helps you check |
|---|---|---|
| Green pension funds UK | Workplace and personal pension savers | How to read pension climate claims, holdings, stewardship and fund disclosures. |
| Green investing UK guide | Investors comparing wrappers | How pensions fit alongside ISAs (individual savings accounts), funds, ETFs (exchange-traded funds), bonds and other sustainable products. |
| FCA SDR labels explained | Readers checking fund labels | What labels can tell you and why some pension products may sit outside the same regime. |
| Greenwashing in sustainable funds | Pension savers reviewing fund names | How to spot vague claims, weak exclusions, confusing benchmarks and limited disclosure. |
| ESG vs sustainable investing | Readers comparing terms | Why ESG (environmental, social and governance), ethical, sustainable, climate-aware and impact pension language can mean different things. |
| Fossil-free funds UK | Pension savers checking exclusions | Why fossil-free, low-carbon and ESG fund claims are not the same thing. |
| Sustainable investing fees | Long-term pension savers | How fund, platform and pension charges compound over time. |
| Green investment platforms UK | SIPP (self-invested personal pension) and platform users | How platform choice affects access to pension wrappers, fund lists, fees and sustainability data. |
What to ask a pension provider
- What does the default fund actually hold?
- Does the fund have a sustainability objective or only ESG integration?
- Are fossil fuel exclusions used, and how are thresholds defined?
- Does the manager publish voting and engagement records?
- Does the scheme publish climate reporting or disclosures aligned with TCFD (Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures)?
- Are lower-carbon or ethical self-select options available?
- How do fees and risk compare with the default option?
Where the Pension Climate Snapshot fits
The green pension funds guide includes The Carbon Workbench Pension Climate Snapshot. The tool is designed to make pension climate exposure easier to discuss by turning pension size, contributions, fund profile and asset mix into an educational financed-emissions style estimate.
The important point is not the exact number. The important point is the set of follow-up questions: fund-level emissions, holdings, stewardship, targets, alternatives and data quality.
Bottom line
A pension can be labelled responsible, ethical, ESG or climate-aware without meaning the same thing. Check the objective, holdings, exclusions, stewardship record, climate data, fees and risk before drawing conclusions.